Coroner rules Long Beach girl's death a homicide

LONG BEACH - Long Beach Police Department homicide detectives continued to delve into the case of a 10-year-old girl who died following a fight with an 11-year-old classmate, police said Monday.

Investigators were conducting what police called an "intense and detailed investigation" after Los Angeles County Coroner's officials ruled the death of Joanna Ramos a homicide.

No charges have been filed against the classmate with whom Joanna allegedly fought. According to police, no weapons were used in the fight, which lasted about a minute, neither girl was knocked to the ground and both of them walked away from the conflict.

"The Long Beach Police Department is still in the process of conducting a very intense and detailed investigation, comprised of many aspects, including interviews and a thorough review of all the facts and evidence," LBPD Spokeswoman Nancy Pratt said in a press release issued Monday.

The release was issued after the Coroner's Department issued its ruling of homicide, with the mode of death found to be blunt force trauma, said Coroner's Lt. Fred Corral.

No other details were available Monday, though Corral noted the medical examination was completed late Sunday.

Whether the homicide ruling could lead to the 11-year-old classmate who allegedly fought with Ramos being charged wasn't yet known Monday, Pratt said.

"The investigation is going to take some time," she said, noting it was hard to tell when homicide detectives would be ready to present their findings to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Ramos, who police had initially identified as 11 years old, died late Friday after she and an 11-year-old classmate at Willard Elementary School left an after-school program for a pre-planned fight that afternoon, police said.

No weapons were used in the fight, which lasted about a minute, neither girl was knocked to the ground and both of them walked away from the conflict, Deputy Police Chief Robert Luna said at a press conference held Saturday.

Ramos, who had no visible signs of trauma, returned to the after-school program, and at some point thereafter, vomited and went home, Ramos' aunt, Patricia Catalan, said Sunday at a makeshift memorial at the elementary school.

Catalan also said she thought more than one girl fought with her niece and that the family was concerned the girl was being bullied.

However, police wouldn't comment any further on the details of the fight or the possible motive pending the ongoing investigation. Deputy Police Chief Robert Luna said at a press conference Saturday that he wasn't aware of the two girls having a history of problems.

While at home, Ramos told her family she wasn't feeling well, and she was driven to a local emergency room. She had surgery and was initially listed in critical condition, but was pronounced dead shortly before 9 p.m., Luna said.

Police wouldn't say what Ramos' injuries were or what type of surgery she had.

Detectives have interviewed the girl who fought with Ramos as well as about seven witnesses at the fight, but no arrests were made, police said Monday.

Police didn't say what prompted the fight, though friends said it was over a boy.

"I told the teacher, and she said she would talk to all the girls on Monday," said Stephanie Guadalupe Soltero, who said she was friends with the victim.

No adults at the school knew about the impending fight, Long Beach Unified School District Superintendent Chris Steinhauser said at Saturday's news conference.

The superintendent said letters would go out to parents immediately and that counselors would be provided when students returned to class Monday.

Police said they were working to interview anyone with information - in response to the knowledge that there were rumors going around about the girls or what caused the fight.

"We are still trying to put the pieces of this puzzle together," Luna said.

Pratt repeated that message Monday, urging anyone with information about the fight, particularly whatever led up to the incident, to talk to homicide investigators working on the case.

"The Police Department realizes there is much information being shared within the community, which has led to a great deal of speculation," Pratt said.

"Anyone (with) any information relating to this ongoing investigation that they have not shared with police is strongly encouraged to contact Detectives Hugo Cortes and Peter Lackovic at 562-570-7244."

Anonymous tips can be submitted via text or email at www.tipsoft.com, Pratt said.